I Bet I Would

Chapter 23: Ice Cream

PAULENE

Here we are at Baskin Robbins on a lovely sunny day. 

Ice cream is a really great idea!

I can't even remember the last time I had one.

Hmm. Oh yeah! I remember now. That was months ago at Marble Slab Creamery back in Toronto.

I was with Josh...

I heave out a sigh.

"Are you alright?" Ashton asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Super fine. I'm thinking... Cherries Jubilee flavor? I think I'll have that, Miss." 

"So, Paulene Josiah is fond of cherries?"

"What's so wrong with that? Yeah. I love cherries!" 

"Do cherries grow in Canada?"

"Why, of course! Canadian cherries, sweet or sour, are the finest in the world." I smacked my lips. 

"How conclusive." He chuckled.

"And I'll be having Mint Chocolate, please." 

"That's like chocolate flavored bubble gum, you know," I said to him.

"No. It's not. Far from it. Mint is mint. Chocolate is chocolate. Put them together-"

"It's Mint Chocolate" I quickly finished his sentence.

"Exactly. And bubblegum is something you cannot swallow," He said as we walked towards a table while holding our ice cream in paper cups. 

With my plastic spoon, I scooped some ice cream and turned it upside down inside my mouth so that the ice cream lands right into my taste buds.

I am now in Cherry heaven.

The coldness is also giving my entire body tingling sensations.  

"Enjoying?" Ashton asked.

I opened my eyes. I just realized how stupid I must have looked like.

Whatever.

Can't I enjoy eating my ice cream? Shutting my eyes lets me focus on the taste.

"It's like your first time," He said in the middle of chuckles.

"No, it isn't. However, it's been long since I last had one, and I miss it." I roll my eyes at him.

"Isn't it already freezing in Canada? Shouldn't you hate ice cream?"

"I'm in Miami now. And look, it's melting already!"

We both laughed.

"Actually, Canadians are more coffee and doughnuts people. Me and my family can't live without coffee. Tim Hortons is also the best place to hang out."

"I think there's Tim Hortons here in Florida. I'm not really a coffee aficionado."

"That'll be me!" I exclaimed and raised my right hand.

ASHTON

I let out a laugh.

Paulene is cute. That's even an understatement. She's charming.

"So, tell me more about Canadians. 'Cause I can't tell. You don't even have a different accent. You sound like an American. You look American. You just don't look like a Floridian. I think you'll look great with a tan."

"You think so?" She said as she examines her arms.

She continues, "And we don't have an accent because, duh, we speak English. Some speak French, but, most Canadians speak English the same way you do. And, Canadians are really helpful and nice. We welcome other races in our country. We say sorry a lot- like a lot. We're also obsessed with recycling and waste segregation. I'm not saying that Americans aren't. You can't generalize or stereotype. People are people, you know? Oh! And the world stops when there's a hockey game."

"My world stops when I see you." 

Shit! What the fuck did I just say?!

Damn it. That's just cheesy. Lame kind of cheesy.

She looks shocked but her face is slowly getting redder. 

I forced a laugh and stuck my tongue out.

She then slapped my arm- hard. 

I then dipped my index finger in my almost empty ice cream cup and smudged the ice cream on my fingertip on her right cheek. 

"Heyyyyy!!!!" She cried out.

She grabbed the tissue on the table and angrily wiped her cheek.

She was fuming. 

I laughed out loud, not caring about the other people in here.

She then quickly covered my mouth with her palm.

Her soft hand on my bare lips. 

My pulse is steadily rising.

We stayed like that for quite a while.

She then jerked her hand away, looked down, picked her plastic spoon again, and resumed eating. 

--

This chapter is dedicated to my new reader and commenter-- GauriDevi! I'm really glad that you gave this book a chance and that you said it's cute! :') I know you're rooting for Franz and that this is an Ashton-Pau chapter but I hope you still like it! ;)

Thanks Niichan0 for suggesting Cherry for Paulene and Mint for Ashton.  >:)<

Thank you everyone for reading! :) I hope y'all enjoyed this short chapter! Show some love and support. :D

Next chapter coming up! Don't you just miss Franz already? ;)